We’ve had ours for 6+ years and never used any type PF protector. But all of our cast iron pots/pans have their own coatings.

@Gina Gilgo, what kind of coatings are on your cast iron pots/pans? Something specifically to protect the stovetop?

My mom keeps a towel over her controllers.

Not specific for induction - see Le Creuset.

Nope. and we use cast iron at least a few times a week (the regular lodge ones). If yiu look very closely at an angle you can see fine scratches after 7 years, but nothing anyone would notice standing over it cooking. They really are quite sturdy. Kind of like my iphone has some fine scratches that i don’t notice unless i’m holding it at an angle in the light just so.

I have a Bosch benchmark and the "hobs" are obvious. Of course you can splurge and get one in which you can use the entire top.

You are supposed to be a bit careful with any glass cooktop (regular or induction) so that you lift rather than dragging cast iron. Theoretically you could use silicone to protect although I don't know how that impacts heat since I've never tried it.

No. I take care of my appliances, but draw the line at treating them like irreplaceable artifacts!

We've used parchment paper on our Bosch, but frankly most smooth pans are not going to scratch the surface. Cast iron with a rough bottom needs more caution, though.

We also have the Bosch benchmark and very happy with it. Now, we’ve had induction since 2006 and never used anything to protect it. Here’s what we do: make sure pots and pans are clean, lift not slide pots and pans, clean up any spills and use a non abrasive cleaner/sponge. I put down paper towel when cooking bacon but that’s because it’s less of a clean up after.

We use paper towels under all pots and pans every time. No scratches at all.

I had an electrolux induction range sor several years and regularly used cast iron on it. The little stainless trim plate around the glass got small scratches but we never got anything other than very faint scratches on the glass.

IME, induction tends to require less scrubbing than a traditional smoothtop range as the surface itself doesn't really get all that hot, so less burned on seasoning (my old smoothtop range had white glass and always had brown rings on the burners unless I scrubbed it after every use, which just wasn't going to happen).

As far as use/protectors/coverings, I assume that a silicone mat large enough to protect the entire range top would be a nightmare to clean (you ever try to scrub grease off a silpat? It's basically impossible), it's easier just to wipe the glass surface. If I'm doing something extra messy like frying or searing something, I've definitely put towels down over the range top (as noted, it doesn't get all that hot), but you really do need to be careful about using anything flammable on a range period.

I’ve had the F&P for a year now and have used a paper towel just once or twice. The glass is fine. The stainless around the glass has scratches but it’s an appliance. Doesn’t really bother me.

The only time I ever put anything down was when cooking bacon. Otherwise, I just do my thing and clean up after with Windex and paper towels.

I'm jumping on the bandwagon too. I'm buying silicone sheets to cook through. Let it splatter and then toss the sheet into the dishwasher with the pan. That's my plan anyway. We'll see how it goes. Yes, I'm going to treat it like an artifact for that kind of money.

@Paul F. please report back about how those silicone sheets work out. I'm curious to know if they're easier to clean than the cooktop itself.

I don't do anything to protect the range but I do sometimes think "oh, maybe I should've done the paper towel thing" after I've cooked something greasy. Cast iron, enameled cast iron, and stainless cookware.

@Paul F. I also want to hear back about how these work in regards to cleaning. If they're anything like a silpat, when those things go in the dishwasher, they collapse and hold water/don't get very clean. Very interested.

I HAVE had a fire with a paper towel. And there have been reports of silicone mats melting. So pay attention when you put stuff under your pots. It may be induction, but things can still get hot enough to melt silicone or ignite paper.

Scratching danger is overhyped. This is the same material that has been on ceramic cooktops since we moved on from exposed coils. If you could handle that without special extras, you can handle this.

I've had 2 induction cooktops (one from the 1980s!) and scratching was minimal. I only used a paper towel underneath when I knew I'd be making a mess (which was far less often than when I actually made a mess). If you boil over, slide (yeah, I slid!) the pot over, wipe it up, slide the pot back. If your cooktop isn't clean, lift instead of slide. Probably a good idea to lift anyway. :P

I definitely used cast iron, and not that porcelained stuff. Plain old (sometimes very old) cast iron.

The melt point of silicone is 500 degrees, about the smoke point of avocado oil. I think it would definitely be by mistake to reach that temperature like an empty pan left unattended on high. So yes, all hell would be breaking loose with smoke detectors going off, melting silicone, ruined teflon... dead birds.

I'm sitting at a glass top dining table with my laptop and I know if there is even a grain of salt under my laptop and I slide it... that's a new scratch. One would hope that the induction cooktop is not so delicate.

Not while cooking but I put a placemat on it when I'm not. DH puts stuff on there and he isn't particularly careful. And I've gotten used to seeing something on there rather than the plain black top.

@Paul F. A heavy sear can definitely reach temps higher than 500F, it's definitely not unheard of.

And glass cooktops are usually harder than cheap table glass.

@Laurel C I will definitely keep an eye on my silicone and the heat as I test this. In the meantime, here's an interesting article about the best way to sear meat... skip to the end to see the one that is determined to be the best. Its surprising.

https://www.thekitchn.com/skills-showdown-best-way-to-sear-meat-23105536

Thanks for the link. If i'm doing steak, I generally just cook it sous vide, in which case (in addition to not really liking to use nonstick unless there's a pressing reason to) starting low isn't the best way to get a sear.

@3katz4me I'm thinking of doing something like that, because other people use the kitchen less mindfully than I do.

No, I wouldn't know the locations of the cooktop elements if I did, and I just clean it using Mrs. Meyers Multi-Surface cleaner with a paper towel when I'm done. I have basic IKEA pots and pans and the LG range induction cooktop looks fine.

I'm getting the thermador freedom cooktop, you can set the pan anywhere on the surface. Yes, a silicon sheet could pose a problem if it has to be exactly in one spot. I saw a video of Invisicook heating only one side of a frying pan because it was about 3 inches off the mark. No buzzing or beeping to warn that that was happening. It would have been hard to spot the issue if it hadn't been eggs frying in the pan and the egg whites showing a distinct white circle. It could explain why some say it takes 10 minutes+ to heat water... the pan is just not placed perfectly on the spot it needs to be?

I do like the Thermodore Freedom. Good choice. I couldn't go for it because it doesn't come smaller than a 36".

Sweet! It must have come out after we made up our minds on the undercounter induction. So many arguments with my other half because I wanted the Freedom so badly and he was unwilling to move our sink over 6" to accommodate it. Ended up being a win-win because I have the cafe window I've always wanted and a 42" galley (not Galley) sink. All our drawings have been signed off with the builder. We're not up for extra expenses for redlines. We started this build pre-Covid and the higher costs have been quite painful. Thanks for sending to me.

My parents were early adopters of induction cooking and had one for decades. I don't remember the brand but they were not particularly careful about using it and the surface of the cooktop was in good shape until last month... when we demolished the home :). I was a gas cooktop fan but have switched allegiance to induction after using theirs for a while . I will definitely NOT be using silicone mats or paper towels or under the pots (primarily "raw" cast iron pots and pans).

I use round 2 ones all the time for both iron cast and others.

https://www.amazon.com/Lazy-Induction-Cooktop-Mat-Fiberglass/dp/B08D8BBZND/ref=sr_1_4

I like that recommendation @Celery. Visualization, Rendering images, however some of the reviews stated that the product is thick and as a consequence, the hob turns off because the pan is not detected. I thought that might be a possibility when I noticed that the ribs, which are designed to capture drips and allow for air flow, increases the thickness of the pad when compared to thinner sheets of silicone.

They work great for me.

As noted, the use of three small pads vs. one large one improves alignment of the pan, and also reduces heat flow via thermal conductivity from pan to surface. Radiant heat flow might increase, but that is a lesser fraction for most cooking temperatures.

In my view, the cast iron scratch issue is that casting sand may remain in the pores of the pan base. Otherwise, it is just iron (and carbon) vs. the Ceran glass material, which the Ceran seems to tolerate.

I always use pads, if anyone is keeping score.